San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-06
AN ANCIENT USAGE.
Celebrated by Our Scotchmen on New
Years Eve.

Celebrated by Our Scotchmen on New
Years Eve.
The old Scottish custom OF "First
Foot" so often ritten Of in Scottish
history, Is unique 10 its practice and
bospitable to degree unsurpassed In
any country.
First Foot" stamps the "luck" OF the
house-the good fortune or the evil for
tune Of the inmates throughout the
year There Is n mysterious, AN Ominous,
importance attached TO the Individual
who first crosses the threshold, after the
clock has struck II, midnight, on the
3Ist Of December, or who Is the First
Foot 10 a house after the new year has
begun. This custom Ia very old one,
and dates way back In Scottish history;
but IL Ia dying out. though still practiced
In Scotland and In the British colonies,
and sometimes in the United States,
where the scots are settled.
In old times, the young men, and not
them alone, but married men ripe In
years, and OfTpnIimes men OF snow white
locks. who could count three score and
ten winters on their heads, would take
their loaf of bread In one hand and II
bottle of Peat Rec X" 10 the other. and
of with the Young men, like boys OF l6.
to arouse their neighbors after midnight
and make them eat and drink from the
first foot md In most cases amongst the
~cots, the bic and sup 10 reciprOcated
from within. This Is considered an
omen of good luck, by both parties.
But beware II tn. first foot is fl d-foOt.
ed or crOss-eyed, which are Omens OF
bad luck. and still more SO If they come
empty handed.
Particularly so. II there Is nothing
eatable present, then they may look for
famine and III lnck during the whole
year. BIT rs Nelly X ,gers would say,
''look through The key hole. and don't let
him in II be Is a 'flas sOled body"
bur Nelly was surprised ut her son OPEN
ing the door without her consent, and
admitting n coachm n begging light
for n ladt In a coach. whose light was
extingushed by the wind. Nelly was
inconsolabIe and sfamoed her foot and
said 1t was an unIucky first foot and they
would see IL, at the same time remark
ing she had the experience OF 80 yearr,
and IL was no use attempting 10 argue
her "out ~ what she had observed h-r-
sci" In this instance Nelly WAS right.
for 1t proved to be a very fortunate
year for her and her household. THIS IL
a simple illustration. A thousand more
con d be given. but for the present this
will suffice. Ii appears this custom 10
kept w in San Antonio, though we were
moi aware OF IL till We met gentleman
the other day who was telling friend
what fine time they had at Mr.. Scott's
on New Years morning. They thought
they would take him and his family by
surprise, but they were mistaken, for
Mrs Scott had her table well provided
with oatmeal cakes. cheese, etc, and
Mr.. Scott had a bottle OF real old
Scotch The modus opperandi was
this: about a quarter past twelve on
January |. a rap came to Mr.. Scotts
front door, the firing commenced, as
though the old Washington battery had
let loose on them but rs II was Scots with
in and Scots without. the firing was
kept up with animation. Scott seeing
he could not bluff off the surprise party,
opened the door aud made them his
guests. After an exchange of bite and
dram The music commenced and was
kept up till near four 10 the morning.
when all hands Joined in Aud Lang
Syne. parting to meet again, please God,
In another year.